Quest for the 'Royal Glory'
by MagicSwede1965
Summary: An expedition to explore shipwrecks turns up much more than anyone anticipated. Follows 'Erik the Loser'.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**_Part Two in a series of four. I hope all of you had a very merry Christmas and that 2008 will be a wonderful new year for you! Thanks to PDXWiz for the original idea that covers the first three parts of this story arc, and also thanks to jtbwriter, Harry2, Bishop T and Kyryn, along with all my readers. _

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§ § § -- August 10, 2004

Christian was playing with the triplets in the living room while Ingrid was tending to laundry and Leslie was washing some pots and other items that hadn't fit in the dishwasher. What with their impending departure for London, they had canceled Janine's grocery-shopping excursion for that Tuesday and had spent the day packing for the journey; then Leslie and Ingrid had set about finishing off the cleaning chores so that they wouldn't come home to mountains of dirty laundry and dishes. Leslie had just started drying the items she'd washed when the phone rang.

"Should I get that?" Christian called.

"If you want to," Leslie agreed, turning to watch through the passthrough as he arose with an energetic Tobias in his arms. She giggled at sight of her son kicking his feet as if alternately pushing each foot down on a pedal, and Christian overheard and grinned at her, picking up the phone.

A moment later he came to the passthrough. "It's Camille, my Rose," he said.

"Oh," said Leslie and took the phone from him, watching him return with Tobias to the quilt where Karina and Susanna lay on their stomachs, both with heads up as if trying to watch their father. "Hi, Camille, what's up?"

"A lot," said Camille. "Remember when you told me a couple weeks ago that Christian said Janine confided in him that she had almost enough money to go home? Well, she did it. Andrea got home maybe fifteen minutes ago and Janine was gone. She left a note for Andrea and Denise telling them she'd gone home and not to come after her."

Leslie realized her mouth was hanging open and snapped it shut, then managed, "Holy paradise! I…we knew she was in bad shape, but we never thought she was serious!"

"Hey, don't have a cow," Camille said with a laugh. "It's not your fault, or Christian's either. We probably should've paid closer attention when you said that. After all, if you didn't think it seemed serious, you wouldn't have told us."

"I wonder when she left," Leslie said. "I mean, she could be practically there by now."

"Yeah, probably," said Camille. "Andrea said she was gonna call Mr. Roarke and get a charter-plane schedule from him, and ask him to check with the attendants at the dock to see when a girl matching Janine's description boarded the plane. That'll be a start at least. And Andrea's calling Troy's parents to give them a heads-up."

Leslie smiled at Christian, whose attention was fixed on her. "Janine's going to kill both of you for making her come back," she remarked. "All that money and effort, gone to nothing. She'll hate you guys for years."

"I'm sure she will," said Camille with another laugh. "She's a teenager, and teenagers hate adults anyway. David's already having issues with Jimmy, and I dread next year, 'cause he'll be old enough to drive. He's got friends in school who live on Coral Island, and according to him, people drive everywhere on the Air Force base there. He wants to get one up on them by getting his driver's license the second he's eligible, just so he can lord it over them because fifteen's driving age here and his friends'll have to wait another year."

Leslie laughed. "I can imagine…not that it'll be worth much."

"Yeah, since we don't have a car," Camille agreed. "The shuttle service and our bikes have always been plenty. But you know teenagers, they think driving is a birthright. Well, anyway, tell Christian not to worry about Janine. Andrea's not blaming either one of you, and there's no reason you should feel responsible or anything. So you can take your trip to London with a clear conscience."

Leslie grinned and said, "Christian should be relieved to hear that. Okay, well, good luck to both you and Andrea. Talk to you later."

Christian came to get the cordless phone, pausing at the passthrough. "Well?"

"Janine carried out her threat," Leslie said, handing him the phone. "She packed her bags and headed back to Boston, just the way she told you she would."

Christian blinked and frowned a little. "Oh?"

"Don't worry, my love," Leslie assured him. "Camille said neither she nor Andrea is blaming us for Janine's antics. They're already starting a search for her, and Andrea's calling her former in-laws to let them know she's coming in case she got a big enough head start that she actually lands in Boston. Considering Janine, I bet she did. Something tells me she left on the earliest charter after Andrea went to work, so she could cover as much distance as possible before anyone realized she was gone."

Shaking his head, Christian returned the phone to its base. "We should have known she was serious."

"You did," Leslie reminded him. "Even Camille said it—if you hadn't thought it was, you wouldn't have bothered mentioning that Janine confided in you. And I wouldn't have passed on the word to Camille. Christian, my love, Janine isn't your responsibility, and you don't need to stew over it. Just let it go—Andrea's handling it. Camille told me we can head for London with clear consciences."

Christian strolled slowly back to the triplets' quilt, musing, "In a way, I feel sorry for her. She wanted so very badly to go back to her hometown." He looked up then and gave her a wry smile. "On the other hand, perhaps I won't have to deal with her crush any longer. That alone is enough to allow me to sleep tonight." He grinned at Leslie's laugh and settled down again with the triplets. She completed drying things and putting them away, with Christian's animated commentary in _jordiska_ to the babies as background.

§ § § -- August 11, 2004

The Arcolosian royal jet turned out to be an extravagance that astonished even Christian, who'd grown up with opulence. It was outfitted with ten rows of plush, reclining seats, one seat on each side, and dividing these into two sections of five rows apiece was a table that could seat eight. The plane was outfitted with a galley, as well as a bathroom far more spacious than could normally be found on an aircraft, equipped with a shower. While the others stared on in amazement, Michiko demonstrated how the reclining seats could be tipped back far enough to sleep in and swiveled around so that their occupants could face one another and chat if they liked.

"Man," Jonathan mumbled, shaking his head. "No wonder people dream of being royalty…or at least marrying into it. This is unheard-of."

"Even in my experience," Christian agreed. "I imagine this was built to Errico's specifications—it has the unique flair of Arcolosian royalty."

Michiko burst out laughing. "That's the perfect way to put it, Christian! Yes, you're right, and more than that, Errico sent Paolono to Lilla Jordsö for a few weeks just so he could keep an eye on the builders and make sure they were following their instructions. I'm sure Errico will insist on sending you home in this as well."

"He shouldn't," Leslie said nervously.

"He will," Christian said, grinning at her. "That's how he is, my Rose. His family has far too much money and no real idea how to spend it."

"What about charities and so forth?" Leslie asked.

Michiko smiled. "I set up one of my own right after Errico and I were married," she said, "if you'll remember—my Worldwide Orphans Fund is still in operation, and I've also set up an account to provide scholarships to the children of the poorest Arcolosian families. And I'm always trying to change laws that treat women unfairly. Plenty of money goes into all these things, but there's just so much of it that Errico would hardly notice if I doubled the amounts that went into the funds, for instance. The gem mine's going to be closed till at least the end of the year, I understand, so I have a feeling Errico will find other ways to spend the money."

Christian chuckled and remarked, "Productive ones, I should hope. He obviously spared no expense on this plane, which undoubtedly helped the employees at Kronström & Dalby. Well, is there somewhere we can secure the triplets so they'll get through this with a minimum of fuss?"

Michiko summoned the crew members, and they helped get the triplets and little Princess Catalina settled for the long flights. Christian and Leslie chose to sit across the aisle from each other and well within sight of their children; Michiko sat behind Leslie with Catalina strapped securely in the seat behind her. The royal jet got clearance from the Honolulu airport tower, and soon they were in the air, relaxing and now and then talking about one thing or another. The meals were as sumptuous as the décor, making Christian shake his head. "Truly," he commented, "this makes us look like royal paupers. I don't dare mention this to my nieces and nephews, or else they're going to want one too—and that'll include Briella!" He chuckled ruefully at the laughter that brought on and flagged down one of their two flight attendants to ask about dessert.

It was dark when they landed at Heathrow, but Michiko was able to pick out the limo that had brought Errico to the airport to meet his wife and little daughter—not to mention the press cars gathered in rings beyond a fence, waiting to get photos and shout for interviews. "If they didn't know we were on the flight already," Leslie observed, "they will in a couple of minutes. When I was a kid, I used to think being famous would be fun. Now I wonder what on earth I was thinking."

"What?" Christian teased. "You don't enjoy the adulation and all the people waving at you and wishing you well and smiling?"

"Sure I do, just the same as you do," Leslie shot back, and he let out a loud, delighted laugh at that. The plane came to a stop, and they got out of their seats and began gathering up the triplets. Ingrid came forward from where she'd been sitting with Jonathan and took Susanna; Leslie held Karina and Christian carried Tobias. Michiko gathered up a sleepy Catalina, and Jonathan brought up the rear as they all progressed down the steps onto the tarmac, where bodyguards waited for them. Errico stood in the midst of them and hugged Michiko when she set foot on the ground, kissing Catalina's head and then brightening when he saw the Enstads descending.

"Now there's a surprise indeed!" he exclaimed in his usual expansive, ornate speech. "My dear old friend Prince Christian, his lovely wife Leslie, and their precious triplets." He slapped a slightly startled Christian on the back once the latter man's feet were on the ground; even little Tobias blinked and tried to turn his head to stare at the stranger. "It seems my dearest wife persuaded you to come with her after all and lend an ear to my campaign for a branch of your business in Santi Arcuros."

Christian stared blankly at him. "What?"

Michiko looked at Leslie, who groaned and turned red. "Oh no. I completely forgot, my love. Michiko wanted me to mention it to you, but that was the day you heard from Allegra Post and it completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry."

Christian grinned. "No harm done, my Rose." To Errico he said, "As a matter of fact, I had already had half-baked plans to open a branch in Santi Arcuros, until I got the final tally for the cost of opening the London branch. It's coming along very well, but it hasn't quite paid for itself yet, and I had to shelve the Santi Arcuros project for the time being."

"Ah, I see, I see," Errico said, nodding thoughtfully. "Hmm, perhaps I can do something to expedite matters, then. I have money to burn."

"So we hear," Christian said dryly, and Michiko rolled her eyes. "Why don't we get some rest and try to readjust to the local time zone, Errico, and then we can discuss it when we're feeling more energetic. I'm actually here for a project with my London employees, and I'm planning to report tomorrow."

Errico shook his head and clucked his tongue, admonishing, "You can't begin working so soon after arrival, my dear old friend. You'll never remember all that you must, and I know you're well aware of it. You'll have a suite in the best hotel in the city, the same one where we ourselves are staying, and you're to have dinner with us. And then we shall relax tomorrow and perhaps discuss your Santi Arcuros project in the afternoon. No, no, you're not to object!" he commanded with mock sternness when Christian opened his mouth to protest. "If there's one thing I've always loathed, it's people who do nothing but work, nonstop, day and night, night and day, and think of nothing else. Life is not meant to be only toil and drudgery, no matter how much you enjoy your profession. The evening is for us to relax and for the children to get some sleep. Your young maid there can certainly watch the infants, and we have someone here to stay with Catalina, while we adults have some conversation and perhaps some good Vallomoros wine, yes?"

Leslie sighed wistfully. "It figures," she said. "Vallomoros wine is about the only wine I actually enjoy drinking…and I can't drink because I'm breast-feeding. I guess I'll have to settle for grape juice."

"Ah, fear not, dear Leslie, I shall have sparkling fruit juice brought for you!" Errico promised cheerfully. "And furthermore, I'll send some home with you when your project here is complete, Christian, my dear old friend, so that when she is no longer producing milk, she too may enjoy the fruits of our justly famous vineyard. Were you aware that my wayward brother, Carlono, has finally chosen a bride after all this time? Seniça Vallomoros, the heiress to the vineyard, is slated soon to become Princess Seniça. And it's certainly well past time for the event, I must say." He continued chatting in this vein while they climbed into the limo one by one, holding sleepy children and yawning.

An hour later Christian and Leslie, who had changed clothes at Michiko's insistence before coming up, were sitting in the main room of a luxurious penthouse suite at London's swankest hotel. It was just the four of them; Jonathan had decided to stay behind and keep Ingrid company while she stayed with the triplets. A lull had fallen in the conversation, which had revolved around Carlono's upcoming wedding to the heiress to Arcolos' only vineyard, and Michiko had just echoed Leslie's yawn. Errico looked around and grinned. "I believe we are keeping our dear wives awake, Christian, my friend."

"So it seems," Christian agreed with an amused look at Leslie. She made a face at him and Michiko laughed. "Perhaps you two might go off to our suite, my Rose, and talk girl talk if you prefer. I think Errico is eager to lay out plans for the Santi Arcuros branch of my business, even though I don't honestly think it's a good time just now."

"No, we're not that bored, Christian," Michiko said, laughing. "I see a particular twinkle in my husband's eye that tells me he has something up his sleeve."

"She knows me far too well, does my dearest wife," Errico said with a sigh, evoking more laughter. "In actual fact, my dear old friend, I did have an idea, and I beseech you to hear me out before you coldly reject it. You may or may not be aware that our old majordomo, Giohanno, has finally passed on to better things. For the first time we met his family: a son and a daughter, the former of whom came from his monastery to be with his dear father on his deathbed, the latter of whom has two adult children. Giohanno's granddaughter is somewhat younger than we, and we are told she wishes to change careers and start to work with computers. You would want her credentials and qualifications, Christian, of course, but it occurred to me then that you would be well served to employ her in a local branch of your business. And because we are longtime friends, and I understand that you are operating under a budget—a quaint thing, I must say, but understandable—I want to assume all responsibility for the expense. No, I requested that you hear me out!" the king exclaimed, seeing Christian's jaw drop.

"But it's too much!" Christian protested.

"Errico," Michiko said with weary affection, "I told you he'd have a problem with it."

Errico sighed and leaned back in his chair. "How strange, when one has the means and the desire to help an old friend, that everyone naysays the very thought. I have the perfect location in Santi Arcuros for you to set up shop, Christian, and already one potential employee, with many other qualified applicants who would be more than happy to come to work for you. You do have a reputation in the field, my dear friend, whether you know so or not. And that reputation has produced a certain demand in our corner of the Mediterranean Sea. They say if Lilla Jordsö and England and even tiny Fantasy Island merit their own branches, then why not Arcolos?"

"But I can't take your money," Christian said helplessly. "I can't claim to be remotely as wealthy as you are, of course…but I'm not destitute."

"No, of course you aren't," said Errico. "But I do know you for the thrifty man you are, an unusual quality in a royal. And I am also aware that this business of yours supplies your only income—by personal choice, no less, although of course I know that King Arnulf the First denied you access to your family's treasury, as did your late brother after him. To build a business, one needs must spend money, is this not so? Let me make this suggestion, Christian, my old friend: think of it as an investment by me. I relieve you of all the costs involved in starting a branch, and in return I am requesting that you donate five percent of your annual profits from that branch to one of my dear wife's charities. Now, tell me, does that make this any more palatable to you?"

Christian squirmed noticeably in his seat. "I have no objection to the donation of profits, but it still seems extravagant."

"Well, now, you consider the offer," Errico said, "and take as much time as you desire. I believe that when you've had a chance to look at it from all angles, you'll find it as attractive as I do, and we can begin to make arrangements. I shall leave it where it lies and let you ruminate upon it. And perhaps now you'll be willing to tell me what brings you to England."

"Ah, yes," Christian said and smiled, visibly relaxing. "My branch manager here sent me a message advising that a small but very successful shipwreck-search concern wants to have its computers upgraded and newly programmed, and its website overhauled. She told me they asked if I myself would kindly put my hand in the work, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to drop in on my London crew and find out how the business goes day to day, on a first-hand basis. I didn't want to leave Leslie behind, so we packed up the triplets and brought them along. My Fantasy Island accountant came with us to help my London accountant with the financial considerations. I'm to go in tomorrow."

"Tomorrow afternoon," Leslie said. "I don't think you'll be up to waking up that early, my love, especially when you factor in jet lag."

Christian grinned wryly and pointed out, "I may not have any choice, since I'm sure the triplets won't be affected by jet lag." They all laughed. "Well, no matter. I think perhaps it's time we retired for the night. Michiko, I have no doubt you're nearly as worn out as we are, and I'm sure you'd appreciate the chance to sleep as much as we."

"I certainly would," Michiko agreed, "especially before Errico and I have to meet with Queen Elizabeth this weekend. We have a good bit of preparation to do, and I want to be certain I'm up to it, because this is the first time I've met Her Majesty in all the years since I married Errico. He's met her on numerous occasions, all of them before Androno died, but I didn't accompany him on those trips. So I'm nervous, and before you say it, Leslie, I know perfectly well that I'm as much a queen as she is. But she was born into royalty and I wasn't. You should understand that explanation."

"More than you think," Leslie said, grinning. "Okay, I get it. And Christian's right, I'm really exhausted and looking forward to closing my eyes. Good luck with the meeting."

"And you with the project," Errico said, smiling. "A pleasant night to you both, then."

Finally alone in the hallway, Christian and Leslie looked at each other, strolling slowly to their own suite, each with an arm around the other. "Are you actually going to think over Errico's offer, or just pretend to in order to humor him?" Leslie asked.

Christian groaned softly and said, "I honestly think it's far too much. Besides, I'm not ready to go to all the trouble of preparing a building, getting all the office furniture and equipment together, and particularly screening applicants. Perhaps if you and I didn't have three infants to worry about, I might actually consider it." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, then went on, "But even if I were ready to go through with it, I just can't see myself accepting the offer. Something about it just feels wrong…as if I were taking advantage, you see."

"But he made the offer," said Leslie, "you didn't ask him."

Christian looked at her oddly. "Are you on his side or mine?"

"Yours, my love, of course," she said, "but I'm just playing devil's advocate. Anyway, I have to agree with you on the timing. Maybe in a year or two when the triplets are a little more self-sufficient, hmm?"

"Perhaps so, yes," Christian said, yawning. "Forgive me, my Rose. You're right, I need my sleep as well. I'll call Allegra in the morning and let her know I'll be in after lunch."


	2. Chapter 2

§ § § -- August 12, 2004

After Leslie called Roarke the following morning and let him know they were safe and sound, and that the triplets had been surprisingly good fliers, she and Christian left the babies in Ingrid's care following an early-afternoon feeding and went to the London branch of Enstads Datoservice. Here they met Allegra Post, Christian's local manager; Neil Blackerby, the accountant; the three computer specialists, Allison Day-Thomas, Richard Warrenton and Colin Patterson; and the two troubleshooters, Gemma Snowe and Stuart Bricker. They all greeted Christian and Leslie warmly, congratulated them on the triplets and expressed the hope that they'd get to meet the babies while the Enstads were there, and then got down to business. Leslie sat on a chair reading a magazine and managed to tune out the goings-on around her; by the time she had read the whole thing and Christian was ready to make some decisions, nearly two hours had passed.

"So do you think you'll be going out alone, Your Highness?" asked Colin Patterson, a gawky young man in his early thirties with a thatch of black hair that he kept just a bit longer than was strictly conventional. "Seems you might be better off with one or two of us along as well."

"Going out where?" Leslie asked.

Christian looked up and smiled at her. "We've been discussing whom I should take with me when it's time to begin installing the new equipment on History Hunters' fleet," he explained. "Apparently they're in something of a hurry because they've just received word of a group of wrecks not very far off the _jordisk_ coast." He came to her and pulled her to her feet and into his arms. "They're giving me incentive. Since it's so close to my native country, if I can finish the installations within fourteen days, they'll invite me to accompany them on the exploration cruise. They're hoping to complete it before the North Sea begins to gear up for its usual winter antics."

"I see," Leslie mused. "Have you mentioned all this to Anna-Laura?"

"I plan to in just a few moments," Christian said, grinning. "She hates boats and would never dare go out in one, but the purpose of the trip would intrigue her greatly." He turned to Allegra. "Perhaps you'd allow me to borrow your desk and telephone for a short time. I need to get in touch with a few people."

"By all means, Your Highness," Allegra Post said cheerfully, rising from her desk. She was a slender, petite woman a little older than Leslie but younger than Christian, with frosted blonde hair and twinkling blue eyes. "Take all the time you like, I meant to see how the financial aspects are progressing."

"Well enough," said Christian and replaced Allegra in her seat. Leslie pulled an extra chair up beside his and watched him bring up an internet screen, then pull up his e-mail account and sign into it. He scrolled slowly through his messages, answered a couple of them, then got out of his e-mail and picked up the phone, punching out a long string of digits and leaning back in the chair to wait. He smiled at Leslie again and wrapped his hand around hers, then went alert. _"Hallå då, Anna-Laura, dehär är Christian…"_

Pleased to find she could pick out words here and there, Leslie listened while Christian continued the conversation in his own tongue. After exchanging what she supposed were the usual pleasantries, he launched into a long explanation in _jordiska_, his eyes alight and his voice animated. Then he fell silent and listened intently, his eyebrows going up in surprise after a moment or two. Wondering what was going on, Leslie waited.

Eventually Christian finished the chat and hung up, then turned to her. "Well, it seems my sister was the first person History Hunters contacted." He lowered his voice. "I told her quickly about the fantasy I visited last weekend and filled her in on what little additional information I gathered while I was there. She was very surprised to find that it was three ships that had been sunk, and all of them Irish pirate vessels at that. But she says that the company initially contacted her in regard to the _Royal Glory_—Erik VII's ship."

"But that didn't sink, did it?" Leslie asked, very surprised.

"According to Anna-Laura, not in battle," Christian said. "But Erik VIII wanted no visible reminders of his brother—she tells me he was bitter about the loss of that crown. He ordered that the _Royal Glory_ be taken out to sea and deliberately sunk, and this was duly carried out once the ship had been stripped of anything valuable. It's her hope that History Hunters can perhaps bring up the wreck of the _Royal Glory_ so that it can be transported to the Museum of _Jordisk_ History in Dalslund and restored. That's what they are looking for, and I must admit it will be very interesting to see if they locate it—not to mention watching the raising of the ship, if it can be done."

"Wow," said Leslie. "That's quite an endeavor, but it doesn't sound out of reach. I didn't see a lot of the ship, but I got the sense that it wasn't overly large."

"No, not really," said Christian. "Knowing Erik VII, it should have been; but in fact I'm told that during the battle I witnessed, he was using a ship that had belonged to his father, Erik VI—an extremely frugal monarch. The smaller size of the vessel is the probable saving grace in all this, the only thing that would make this whole project possible. I'd ask you to come, but it would necessitate bringing the triplets, and clearly children have no place on an excursion like this. I only hate that you would be missing out."

Leslie smiled wistfully and admitted, "I'd love to go, but I don't see how. These things take a week or two, don't they? Maybe they'll provide us a way to keep in touch."

"Perhaps so," Christian said, "but if I am to go at all, I'd better get to work. We've already been given a list of the equipment the company wants, and my first task is to purchase it with the initial retainer they gave us. Then, tomorrow, we go to their headquarters here in London, and the installation work begins. I'm sorry, my darling, I doubt I'll be able to accompany you on very much sightseeing."

Leslie tipped toward him and kissed him softly. "That's okay, my love. It was meant to be a business trip anyway. I assume you'll be back with us each evening?"

"Yes, I will. There is one thing, however. If we complete the installation and programming within the allotted time frame, and I go out on their expedition with them, you and the triplets and Ingrid will fly to Lilla Jordsö and stay at the castle with the family. That way we can communicate via e-mail, and I'll know you and the babies are safe with relatives. I'll probably send Jonathan back to Fantasy Island, romance or no. He may as well learn how to be separated from the woman he loves…"

He was grinning, and Leslie rolled her eyes at him. "You're a sadist, my love." They both laughed quietly. "Okay, that sounds like a great plan. Maybe in the meantime I'll have a chance to see a few things beyond the scope of London."

§ § § -- August 25, 2004

"There, I believe that's it," Christian muttered, closing a cabinet door and straightening back up from a kneeling position. "Colin, if you'd be so kind as to send a message to all three of their ships, we'll know for certain if the programming works."

Colin Patterson did as requested, and a few minutes later grinned. "Your Highness, it works," he said, diverting Christian's attention from a specialized graphics-sharing program he was demonstrating to History Hunters' land-based employees. "That puts the cap on it. I believe you're correct, we've finished here."

"Excellent," Christian said, pleased. "Thank you, Colin. If you can find Allison, you might tell her we'll be leaving within thirty minutes—I'll treat you to lunch." Colin grinned at that prospect and jogged out of the room in search of his co-worker, and Christian turned back to the small group of eight or nine people standing around a special oversized monitor he had connected to the computer system so that everyone in the home base could see what was happening on a vessel transmitting from a wreck site. "Anyhow, it's simple enough to use, but if you do have questions, don't hesitate to contact either me or my branch in town here. You'll want either Stuart or Gemma, they're both very good."

"This is incredible, Your Highness," remarked the center's director, a lean, fiftyish guy with salt-and-pepper hair and a wide, toothy grin, by the name of Geoffrey Deering. "You've really exceeded all our hopes, never mind our expectations. I hope you're all right with having your fee paid in installments."

"Of course, that's no problem at all," Christian said warmly. "In fact, I consider it part of the fee just to be able to accompany you to that expedition off our coast. It was a very generous offer, and there's no question that my sister will be quite excited to have first-hand reports and to see what you uncover."

"Is your wife coming along as well?" Deering asked.

"No, she'll have to be with our triplets," Christian said and smiled wistfully. "I'd have loved to have her along, but the babies breast-feed, and it ties her down quite a bit. But they will be with my family, so she too will be able to keep up with the proceedings. When do you plan to leave?"

"Saturday, Your Highness," Deering said. "We'll ring you at your hotel if anything changes, but we're planning for a pre-sunrise departure, so you'll want to be here by three-thirty that morning." He laughed at Christian's grimace. "It's quite the distance to the wreck site, and we shall be in transit all day, so the sooner we leave, the better. Does that discourage you in any way, Your Highness?"

Christian grinned and shook his head. "No, this is too good an opportunity to pass up. I'll be there."

He took Colin and Allison Day-Thomas to lunch, then dropped them off at the office and returned to the hotel in the car he'd rented after Errico and Michiko had returned to Arcolos. Though their limo driver had offered his services, Christian had opted not to use them, unwilling to draw any unwanted attention to himself or his family. He blew out a breath of relief as he let himself into the hotel suite, and brightened at sight of Leslie feeding Karina and Tobias, with Ingrid giving Susanna a bottle. They looked up when he came in, and Ingrid smiled a greeting while Leslie lit up in her turn. "Hi, my love!"

"Hello, my Rose. Tell me, have you and Ingrid eaten yet?" Christian inquired.

"We had room service come up and leave us some lunch," she said. "You look excited. Tell me what happened."

Christian chuckled and gave her the rundown. "So I'm to be there by three-thirty on Saturday morning." He saw her aghast look and laughed, confessing, "That was my first reaction as well, but I think it will be worth it, especially if they can raise the _Royal Glory_. I have no doubt that if it can be brought up, they're likely to have to apply the sort of wood-preservation technique that's been used on the _Vasa_ in Stockholm. The ship's been under water for more than four and a half centuries, and bringing it back into the air will adversely affect the wood. But it will be quite a piece of history."

Leslie nodded and agreed, "It sure will. So…when do you think we should leave for Lilla Jordsö?"

"Let me call the castle and see if I can make some arrangements," Christian said, reaching for the phone. "We may not have our own royal jet, but at the very least we can get you there in safety and privacy." He winked at her, and she grinned and murmured to the triplets, telling them what their father was doing.

§ § § -- August 28, 2004

Leslie and Ingrid were driven to the royal castle in a long limo that had met their plane on the tarmac; Gabriella had sent a luxury commuter plane to Heathrow to pick them up and transport them to Lilla Jordsö, and they were feeling quite pampered. Ingrid was clearly overwhelmed at being privy to the trappings of royalty, amusing Leslie, who herself was still a little amazed that she merited this sort of treatment. The triplets, unimpressed, had oddly been less amenable to air travel this time than they had on the way from Fantasy Island, and Leslie and Ingrid had spent the flight trying to calm the three wailing babies. In the car they settled down a bit, but they were still fussy, resisting Leslie's attempts to cajole them into a better mood. They were still half crying when the limo glided to a stop under the moss-covered portico and the driver opened the doors to let them out, gathering up Susanna and depositing her into Leslie's free arm when she'd gotten out with Karina. Ingrid climbed out with Tobias, and the driver opened the doors into the great entry and called out in _jordiska_ so that his voice carried all the way to the other end of the hall.

Almost instantly several figures popped out of the dining room at the far end and came at a run. Leslie grinned when they got close enough; she recognized Carl Johan and Amalia, Anna-Laura, Gabriella, Rudolf and Roald. The triplets' delighted cousins began to fawn over the infants, while Carl Johan, Amalia and Anna-Laura laughingly hugged their sister-in-law and welcomed her to the castle. "Where's Christian?" Carl Johan asked.

"Are you following in Father's footsteps, with your absent-mindedness?" Anna-Laura teased him. "I told you he's on the ship that's on its way to the wreck site. Oh Leslie, I'm so glad Christian decided to send you and the triplets here ahead of him. We finally have a chance to meet the babies! Magga was right, they're beautiful!"

"That they are," Amalia said wholeheartedly, tickling Karina under the chin. The babies, startled by all the sudden attention, had stopped crying out of sheer surprise and were staring in bewilderment at all their newfound relatives.

Gabriella relieved Ingrid of Tobias and nuzzled the top of her little cousin's head. "Aunt Leslie, I decided it was time you and Uncle Christian were freed from that dark mid-bank room he had to grow up in. You're in the suite of rooms that Anna-Kristina used to have. I had cribs brought in for the babies, and Ingrid here has a little room across the hall, so that when you need her help with the triplets, you need only cross the corridor and get her. Oh, they're simply beautiful!"

"We never thought we'd have cousins by Uncle Christian," Roald told Leslie, offering Tobias a finger to grasp. "When the news hit the website, it commanded every front page and cover of every newspaper and magazine in the country. And since you're here now, the media will demand footage of the triplets…the newest members of the royal family, and not only that, but the children of Prince Christian—the longtime lone wolf."

"A bit bluntly stated, but correct," Anna-Laura said with an apologetic smile, lifting Karina out of Leslie's arms and cuddling the infant. "And all the more so, because Christian is the first member of the royal family in the country's entire history to become parent to a set of triplets. You two are practically saints."

"Oh, great," Leslie moaned, and everyone laughed. "Just wait till Christian hears that. Are they willing to wait till he's come back from that shipwreck excursion, or do I have to show off the triplets by myself?"

"They'd certainly want Christian there, but I suspect they'd like an advance glimpse of the triplets," Amalia remarked. "But we don't have to agree to it right now. Fate save us, Christian was right, Carl Johan. The little girls really do look exactly alike!"

Carl Johan grinned. "There have been a few sets of twins, both fraternal and identical, in the family, but not for quite a few generations now. Which girl is which? I can see who Tobias is by the way you've dressed him."

"Anna-Laura has Karina," said Leslie, "and this is Susanna." She smoothed the downy hair atop Susanna's head. "Actually, you've all done me a favor of sorts by coming to meet us here. All three of them were crying throughout the entire flight from London, and now that they're meeting so many family members, they're too confused to cry."

Again the family laughed, and as a group they made their way down the great entry to the west-corridor entrance and the oversized suite that Anna-Kristina had occupied for most of her life until her marriage to Mateo. "I also took the liberty of having this room redecorated," Gabriella said with a grin at Leslie. "I thought it would be a little less frightening if that brilliant-aqua bedding were replaced." Leslie giggled, taking in the new slate-blue comforter that had replaced the satin spread Anna-Kristina had used. Lace draperies had been hung at all the windows, and she could tell by the fresh scent in the room that the carpet had been recently shampooed. Three cribs had been placed near the windows, side by side, and there was a large white wicker basket at the foot of the bed Leslie and Christian would be sharing. Gabriella went to that and lifted the lid. "Baby clothes," she said. "Gifts from the people. You and Uncle Christian can go through them when you feel like it. You might never have to buy those babies another outfit till they've passed their first birthday, you know." She grinned and Leslie had to laugh.

"Are you hungry? We were waiting for the noon meal to be served," Carl Johan said. "And we don't know what sort of schedule the triplets have, or whether you and Christian have them with you at your own meals…"

Leslie shrugged, gently patting Susanna's back. "They had a feeding shortly before we left London, so they're not hungry right now. I think they're missing their naps, actually, but I have a feeling they won't be sleeping for a while, what with all this attention."

"Then maybe they could come to the dining room and be with us while we have our lunch," Gabriella suggested.

"I see no reason why not. Did the driver bring the infant carriers in from the car?" Leslie asked, and Rudolf promptly sent Ingrid out to check on this. As soon as she was gone, Leslie found herself peppered with questions about the babies' development—whether they smiled, sat up, held up their heads, kicked, and other such things. Somewhere down the way she was divested of Susanna, who ended up in her uncle Carl Johan's arms, and when the family told her to freshen up and join them when she felt ready, she was left standing in the middle of the room while Christian's siblings, niece and nephews bore her daughters and son away with them.

She stared after them a moment, then began to laugh. It would be a good time to give Roarke a call. She stepped out of her shoes, went to the phone and put through the call, settling on the bed and wiggling her toes. Roarke laughed at the Enstads' enthusiasm over the babies, expressed pleasure that Leslie had arrived safely at the castle, and told her to let him know if and when the shipwreck excursion Christian was on turned up something. When Leslie had hung up with her father, she wandered to the window and squinted out through the ancient, wavy glass, wishing it were possible for her to call Christian as well. She already missed him badly.


	3. Chapter 3

§ § § -- August 28, 2004

They had reached the dive site by late afternoon, and Christian was watching the divers suit up for their first venture. In the near distance lay the coast of Lilla Jordsö, but not so close that Christian could pick out identifying landmarks; and the sea was almost calm, with gentle waves that quietly rocked the boat.

He stood on the deck wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and a windbreaker, munching on a concentrated granola-and-dried-fruit bar like the others who weren't actually going into the water, and looked on with fascination. Christian could swim, but the North Sea wasn't the place to do it even in the shallows. The divers—three of them, two men and a woman—were donning thermal wetsuits, double- and triple-checking their oxygen tanks, and getting information on the water temperature and depth.

The captain paused beside Christian. "Didn't know you found wetsuits so interesting, Your Highness," he kidded.

Christian laughed. "It's more a feeling of anticipation about what they're going down to explore. Do you mind if I ask again precisely what we're here to look at? I was given to understand that there are several shipwrecks in a sort of cluster somewhere in this area, but my sister was told that the expedition was in search of the _Royal Glory_. So I must confess I'm a little confused, and I'd appreciate some clarification."

Captain Gavin Meadows chuckled and nodded. "I don't blame you for being a bit befuddled. Initially it was indeed the _Royal Glory_ we thought we had found—one of our men had come out from the coast there with a professional deep-sea-fishing concern, whose owner is a friend of his. So of course, they're outfitted with sonar to sense where the best fishing is. He spied the unmistakable shape of a bow at the bottom, and that's when his chum explained about the sinking of the _Royal Glory_ and said that it had happened in just about this area. But when we scouted it out last week while you and your employees were installing our new computer systems, we happened to discover the wrecks of three more ships a few miles away."

"Ah, I see," Christian said, visited with a strong sense of prescience. "Of course, you'll be giving priority to the _Royal Glory_…"

"Yes," Captain Meadows assured him, "but at the same time we want to have a look at those other wrecks. That's where the second explorer went. Thanks to your work, we'll be in constant touch with them and they with us, and we'll be exchanging information and any photo images we get. All that will be going to our headquarters in London, and you'll be able to contact your family as well and let them know what's happening."

"Excellent," Christian said, delighted. "I'm going to enjoy this enormously."

Captain Meadows grinned at that, shook Christian's hand, then went to the divers to confer with them. A couple of other crew members joined Christian in watching the divers till they were given the go-ahead to embark on their first trip to the wreck; then they led him into what they called the "data room", where the computers were already interpreting data and pictures and putting them on monitors for all to see. Christian was shown to a smaller machine where he could access the web and his castle e-mail account.

It would be the day's only dive, because of the late hour; though the days were still fairly long at this time of year, it wasn't too far from the fall equinox and it would be dark by nine. The time was now seven-thirty, and Christian wondered how much the divers would find before they had to come back up for the night. Momentarily abandoning his post, he joined the little crowd hovering around the main monitor, staring at the pictures being sent back up by the one diver who was operating a hand-held waterproof video camera.

At first there wasn't much to look at; the water was apparently clear enough, but the wreck lay almost two hundred feet down and the divers were all carrying two tanks. Once a fish darted past the camera, mildly startling them. Told it would be several minutes before the divers reached their goal, Christian returned to his post and sent an e-mail to Anna-Laura's address, hoping the family had enough sense to be at someone's computer by now. He'd told Leslie the approximate time of their arrival at the dive site, and he hoped his family hadn't been too distracted by the triplets to remember.

Fortunately, within a minute his sister's response came back, advising him that she, Carl Johan, Leslie, Amalia, Rudolf and Roald were gathered at her computer. Christian smiled at that and typed back, _"Good, the triplets didn't fascinate you to the point that you forgot their father! Tell Leslie I'm glad they all arrived safely and that I love her. Stand by for more when we start receiving images."_ He arose and sidled back to the main monitor in time for a second, slightly smaller monitor to flare to life with different pictures.

"Aha," said someone, _"Hunter II_ has a team going down to the trio of wrecks right now. It'll take them longer, Your Highness—they're in deeper water, about two hundred fifteen feet." Christian nodded, rested his hands in the pockets of his windbreaker and watched the main monitor, hoping for a sign of the long-submerged royal ship.

His Rolex had ticked away a little more than five minutes when someone blurted, "I see the hull!" A finger reached out and traced a barely visible triangular shape in the murk of the sea bed, and Christian's voice was one of those that made up a chorus of "I see it too!" exclamations. Slowly the shape on the screen grew as the diver with the camera descended closer and closer to it. Not far from the surface the light had enough effect on its object for color to kick in, and Christian leaned forward to stare intently. The ship was encrusted with barnacles, in shades of brown, yellow and pink; but here and there slivers of dark wood gleamed through, as if something had slid across the planks and scraped away some of the growth. Christian grinned, fascinated by this piece of history.

Captain Meadows reached for the microphone Christian had connected to the system several days earlier, and spoke into it. "Arch, are you getting me?"

"Coming through sharp and clear," responded a tinny voice after a moment.

"Can you get rid of some of those barnacles, chum? Be good if we can find a name on that hulk somewhere." He turned to Christian. "Your Highness, if you'd be so kind as to ask your sister if she knows where the ship's name might've been painted?"

"Let me check," said Christian and retreated to the computer that had been set aside for his use. He brought up a blank reply and swiftly typed the question in _jordiska_ for Anna-Laura, then sent it and leaned back against the bulkhead to wait.

It took a little longer this time for her response to come through, and he frowned at it, then raised his voice and read it, translating as he went. "Excuse me, everyone, but my sister tells me the ship's name would have been painted on, and by now it's probably been worn away. She says she is sending for some books to try to find some way to identify the vessel, but it may take some time."

"Would there still be any sort of cargo aboard, anything at all that would be characteristic of its last voyage?" Captain Meadows asked.

"Not cargo," Christian said, remembering suddenly what he himself had told Leslie a few weeks before, "but there might be some of Erik the Seventh's possessions aboard. I've been told that the ship was deliberately sunk because the king who succeeded him wanted no further reminder of the folly that brought about Erik's death." He shrugged at the surprised looks from the crew. "Of course, it may also mean there's nothing at all aboard."

Groans went up at that statement, and he could only shrug again. Captain Meadows smiled faintly and said, "Well, we'll have to make the best of it, everyone. Let's hope Princess Anna-Laura can give us some definite information."

Christian glanced at his monitor screen, just at the moment that another e-mail popped up. Though it was Anna-Laura's e-mail address, the subject line said, "From Leslie." Christian brightened and opened it, a grin beginning to bloom as he read. _"Hi, my love, how's the deep blue sea? Gabriella has fallen madly in love with the triplets and has been making threats to keep them and raise them here when you and I go home. We may have to sneak out of here in the middle of the night to keep her from kidnapping them! Everyone is well and happy. Haven't seen Margareta yet, nor Gerhard, Liselotta and family. Maybe tomorrow. I love you! Love, Leslie."_

Christian, chuckling, glanced at the main monitor and let his gaze linger there for a moment or two, watching a black-rubber-clad hand experimentally scrub off some of the barnacles on the wreck; then he brought up a message to reply. _"It sounds to me like Briella is ready to find a new man…preferably one with children, I think! The deep blue sea is just as it always is…cold. It's surprisingly calm right now, however. The diver is cleaning away barnacles at the moment while we wait for Anna-Laura to get her research done. We got here so late that this will be today's only dive. It's going to be a long night without you beside me. I love you, my darling. Love, Christian."_ He sent the message and leaned back against the bulkhead again, absently following the doings on the main screen.

It took some fifteen minutes for Anna-Laura to get a reply back, and Christian looked over the message twice before clearing his throat. "Forgive me…if I could borrow a little of your time, I've heard back from my sister. She's not aware of any special object that went down with the ship, but she did find out one thing. Toward the stern, port side, there was a crown silhouette, just like the one on our national flag, stamped on the wood in gold leaf. If your divers can find that, it will prove that the ship is the _Royal Glory_."

"That's an excellent clue," someone exclaimed.

"Right you are," Captain Meadows agreed enthusiastically and spoke into the mike, advising the diver to look for a gold-leaf crown shape near the stern. "Your Highness, does Her Highness say that the crown can be found on either side, or merely on port?"

Christian glanced at the message. "Well, she does say the port side. But it's well known that the ship lies on her starboard side; history tells us it capsized toward starboard and went down that way. I don't think there should be any trouble finding the crown."

Muted enthusiasm greeted this, and Christian smiled a little, waiting patiently and looking on while the camera showed slow progress along the barnacle-mottled hull. A voice began humming the old Paul Mauriat instrumental, "Love is Blue", just loudly enough for Christian to hear and long enough to make him wonder why no one told the person to stop. When the stern finally hove into view on the screen, he was convinced he'd hear the song in his head all night long. The black-rubber-encased hand came into view again and began energetically removing barnacles from the wood; the diver worked with enough enthusiasm to send them tumbling through the water in several directions, evoking chuckles. "Won't he cloud the water doing that so quickly?" Christian asked.

"Doesn't seem he has far to dig down," Captain Meadows remarked, "but it also depends on where the crown symbol is located." He advised into the mike, "Arch, slow it a bit, chum. We don't know exactly where the crown is."

"We do now," the tinny voice came back instantly, at the same moment as a bit of gold leaf gleamed under the light from the video camera. Arch's hand cleared away the rest of the marine growth, revealing a beautiful gold-crown silhouette perhaps six inches across. "Proof positive, Captain, we've the _Royal Glory_ here!"

Cheers went up and several of the crew shook Christian's hand; he laughed, thanked them and retreated to the computer to pass the news on to Anna-Laura. Captain Meadows told the divers to come back up for the night, adding to Christian, "Tomorrow we'll have at least three dives, to see if the wreck can be raised. We need to ascertain the lack of objects aboard, especially heavy ones, and also determine the vessel's seaworthiness for towing back to Lilla Jordsö's coast. Once we've got that information, we'll pass it along to your sister, and she can carry on with notifying the proper authorities."

"Our navy will undoubtedly be more than glad to assist," Christian said. "We've been a neutral country since the nineteenth century, and they have little more to do than patrol the coast and deal with young men doing their mandatory military service. This is news the entire country will be excited over."

§ § § -- September 3, 2004

The _Royal Glory_ had been thoroughly inspected, and it had been decided that the ship could be brought up and towed safely to shore for restoration. _Hunter I_, the ship Christian was on, and _Hunter II_—the one inspecting the trio of wrecks found some distance away—had been here for nearly a week, going to the _jordisk_ coast twice to replenish food supplies and riding out heavy rainstorms on two of the days since finding and identifying the wreck. They'd put in at a harbor some twenty kilometers down the road from the castle, in a Sundborg suburb called Vattenskant, or Water's Edge, to obtain provisions; and the second time it happened, Christian had been caught on camera by some photographer who clearly had been alerted by sharp-sighted residents. He was good-natured about it, joking that he dreaded the public seeing him as he was. There was no shower aboard _Hunter I_ and he'd been forced to wash his hair and try to sponge himself clean in a sink in one or the other of the boat's two small heads. As much as he had enjoyed this adventure, he had to admit he'd be relieved to get back to the castle, join Leslie and the triplets and the rest of his family, and indulge in a long hot shower.

On the second trip back to Vattenskant, they had put in at the same time that _Hunter II_ had, and its captain had invited Christian to come with them to inspect what had been brought up from the three shipwrecks his crew had been investigating and to watch the ongoing recovery procedure. Christian had enthusiastically agreed to this and transferred his duffel bag to _Hunter II_. That had been just yesterday, and he'd spent the afternoon and a large part of the night examining an astonishing array of artifacts. There were gold and silver coins; ancient firearms; quite a few beautifully wrought swords; eating utensils and drinking cups; bottles and flasks that undoubtedly had once held ale and other, stronger, libations; and what had turned out to be an honest-to-goodness treasure chest full of loose gemstones and assorted items of jewelry. The chest wasn't very large, but its contents had made Christian laugh and remark that he felt as if he were making off with legendary pirate loot, and that all that was missing was a map with a big X on it to "mark the spot".

This morning's first dive had revealed scattered objects on the sea bed beyond the ships themselves, and the diving teams were eagerly exploring and collecting all manner of odds and ends. The onboard crew was combing through the collection bags the first team had brought up, and there was a second team of four divers down there now, tethered by long anchor lines to the ship in case the weather should change or the water grow treacherous. There were no cameras recording the collection of items, since the divers needed both hands to hold their bags and pick up objects. Christian didn't mind; what was coming back to the surface was fascinating in its own right, without his witnessing its actual recovery.

It was just about lunchtime, and the second team was coming back up one by one, each clutching a bag. Where Christian had merely been an observer on _Hunter I_, here he was more active, helping others pull the divers back on deck and offering towels once they had peeled out of their masks and wetsuits. The second diver was almost back to the surface when somebody noticed a discernible tugging on the anchor wire that was connected to one of the two remaining divers. "Diver in distress!" she yelled.

That instantly galvanized the crew who were examining what the first diver had brought up. The woman who had noticed the moving wire turned to him. "Your Highness, why don't you come into the data room with me and we'll find out exactly what's wrong," she said. "Just follow me."

Christian agreed and took a chair beside the woman, glancing out the one window to the deck where several crew members were just now pulling the second diver aboard. His companion grabbed a microphone and spoke into it. "Nigel, this is Carol, do you read?"

A voice immediately responded. "I read, Carol…"

"What's wrong?" Carol demanded.

"Nothing, chum, not a thing!" the diver said, his excitement obvious even through the distortion of travel through water and transmission from a small speaker. "I've found something big. Cath's helping me work it out of the seabed, but when I yell again, you've got to bring me up on the instant. I think this may be the most valuable find yet."

Carol and Christian looked at each other. "Damn, and we've no camera," Carol said with a wry grin. Christian chuckled.

"Can you get him to tell us what he thinks it is?" he asked.

Carol shrugged and spoke into the mike again. "Nige, what's this marvelous thing you've stumbled across?"

"Not quite sure," Nigel responded. "It's covered in mud and all manner of marine life, and it seems heavy but rather fragile. Something circular. I can get my arm through it once we've got it out of the mud, so it doesn't contact anything in my bag. Ah, that's got it!" he shouted exuberantly, making Christian blink and Carol laugh. "Tell them on deck I'm coming back up now!"

"I'll do it," Christian promptly volunteered and erupted out of his chair to let the crew on deck know that Nigel was on his way back to the surface. They called thanks and gathered at the railing, watching Nigel's anchor line wiggling as the diver began to ascend from the bottom. Christian retreated into the data room, where it was warmer, and stared out the window at the waiting crew. Nigel's excitement had transferred itself to him and he could hardly wait to see whatever it was the diver had unearthed.

It took Nigel most of half an hour to get back to the surface, and for Christian it was one of the longest half hours he'd ever endured. When he saw Nigel's head finally break the surface, he jumped up again and joined the others on deck. Nigel handed up his collection bag first, then pulled something cylindrical off his arm and presented it to Christian. "If you'd take this, Your Highness," he said, panting.

Christian nodded, reached out and accepted the muddy object with both hands. It was indeed heavy. Slowly he retreated from the railing, taking the first chair he came to and gingerly poking at some of the stubborn mud and leftover marine encrustation with one finger. Beneath, he could feel something hard and unyielding, and drew in a slow breath. The thing looked oddly familiar, and a suspicion began to bloom in him. _It's the right size and shape, certainly. If I could just scrape away enough of this junk to find out…_ He dug into his jeans, withdrew the pocket knife he'd carried around with him since he was nine or ten years old, and painstakingly began to work away the detritus.

He was unaware that he'd drawn a crowd till Nigel's voice remarked, "You look as if you have some ideas about this, Your Highness."

Christian nodded, then looked up and blinked at the crew gathered around him, watching him. With a self-conscious chuckle, he said, "I might. Would you tell me what you saw around you when you found this? Anything…strange or unusual, perhaps?"

"Not much," Nigel reflected. "It was some distance away from all the other things we've found so far. I think what drew me to it was part of a human skeleton lying nearby."

Christian stared at him. "A skeleton," he echoed, and at Nigel's questioning nod said, "You may have discovered more than you realize. Can't this be washed off to some extent? It's proving to be difficult to remove whatever this is."

"I'll look into it," someone said and detached himself from the spectators, while Christian bent back to his slow scraping work. After a few seconds a large chunk of what might once have been some sea creature gave way to the knife blade and flew off the object, evoking laughter that died almost instantly when they all got a good look at what had been revealed. Christian felt his stomach go light with shock and realization. Winking back at him was the unmistakable color spectrum of an Arcolosian rainbow gem.

"Do you see the size of that jewel?" someone breathed. "It's massive!"

Christian cleared his throat and said, "I daresay you've found the original royal crown of Lilla Jordsö—the one lost in a pirate raid four hundred sixty-two years ago."

Nigel looked as broadsided as Christian felt. Gasps went up, and looks were exchanged. Christian bent back to the gem to scrape away dirt and other refuse, which now began to come away with more ease. Once the entire huge rainbow gem was revealed, he rubbed at some of its metal setting with one thumb, revealing a thin filament of gold filigree. Before he could react with anything more than a whispered _jordisk_ curse, the other crew member returned with a large plastic basin of water. "Place it in here, Your Highness," he directed.

Christian did so and arose, reaching for the tub. "I'll take that," he said. Something in his tone seemed to compel the crew member to obey him. Whatever it was, Christian was glad for it; he felt protective, very much afraid to let the crown out of his sight. He truly wished Leslie could be here to see this; more than anything he wanted to share it with her.

Throughout the rest of that day Christian hovered over the basin with its precious cargo, watching avidly as crew members gently removed the encrusted deposits of centuries of immersion in salt water. It soon became clear that it was indeed the crown that Erik VII had lost so long ago, and once it had been ascertained beyond all doubt, Christian pleaded that they go to shore immediately. "I'm not asking you to cut the exploration short," he said, "I merely want to bring this safely back to dry land. I'll e-mail my sister and ask her to send one of our chauffeurs to Vattenskant to meet me and take me back to the castle. You need not even wait once I've disembarked, you can return to the site immediately if you will…I just feel that the sooner this is in a safe place, the better."

The crew looked at one another, at the crown, at him. Finally Carol, who had been in the room keeping in contact with the last diver as she was ascending, got to her feet. "I'll check with Captain Hazeldale," she said. "I suppose it's no trouble, but it's best to get his approval on it." She walked out, and Christian reached into the now murky water in the basin and with great care lifted out the crown, now almost completely clean. There was yet some stubborn matter clinging to it, probably the centuries-old remains of mysterious sea creatures; but amazingly, not one jewel was missing from any of the many settings, and the gold was tarnished but otherwise undamaged.

Carol returned as he was examining the crown. "Your Highness, Captain Hazeldale said it's fine with him," she said. "We'll hold off on sending the third team down till we come back after we've let you off at Vattenskant. However, he's advised that you should take all those bags of artifacts we've found so far and deliver them to the museum where the _Royal Glory_ is to be displayed. He said that as long as we're taking you and the crown back, everything else may as well go back also. After all, these waters are within Lilla Jordsö's territory, so anything we may find here will automatically become your country's property."

Christian nodded, grinning. "You may have found a great deal of loot," he said, "but I have no doubt this crown will eclipse everything else. Let me e-mail my sister, and then I'll stay here with this. I expect I'm better off out of everyone's way in any case."

Knowing grins greeted that, and Christian acknowledged them with a good-natured chuckle. The crew knew full well that he really meant that he wasn't letting that crown out of his sight for a second, and he knew they knew it. As soon as _Hunter II_ had gotten underway, he dispatched a quick message to Anna-Laura, then settled back for the trip.


	4. Chapter 4

§ § § -- September 3, 2004

"He's found something?" Carl Johan asked, seeing Anna-Laura's hazel eyes pop wide open. "What is it?"

Anna-Laura's hand drifted to the base of her throat and settled there; she seemed unaware that Amalia and Leslie had both come to the computer to see. "Leave it to Christian," she finally said.

"Leave what to Christian?" Leslie asked excitedly.

Anna-Laura turned to her and blinked before beginning to shake her head, speaking in disbelief as she did so. "He says a diver on _Hunter II_ actually found the first crown," she said. "He also says that the captain is on his way to Vattenskant right now so that he can come ashore with the crown and all the other things the divers have found from those Irish shipwrecks. He wants a chauffeur to meet him there."

"He couldn't have!" Amalia cried, stunned.

Carl Johan started to laugh. "Why couldn't he?" he asked. "After every other fantastic thing Christian's done or been through since he became a resident of Fantasy Island, I have to admit I'm not especially surprised. If someone were going to find that crown after so long, it might as well be Christian."

Leslie giggled at the teasing look he cast her. "Well, Susanna, Karina and Tobias are in good hands with their cousins and Ingrid," she noted, "so I'm going with the chauffeur. It's been long enough since I saw my husband, and I want to be part of the welcome wagon when he gets back onto dry land."

Her in-laws laughed. "Yes, I suppose I can't blame you," Anna-Laura said indulgently. "Let me call a servant in here and send him to notify a chauffeur to bring a car around front, and you'll be on your way to Vattenskant shortly, Leslie."

"Wonderful," Leslie said. "I think I'd better call Father, too, and let him know what happened. I was actually supposed to go back to work this weekend, according to our original plans, but obviously that's not going to happen just yet." They all laughed, and Anna-Laura gestured at her telephone.

About ten minutes later Leslie was in the back of one of the royal limos on her way to Vattenskant, anticipation rising in her with every moment. Vattenskant was mostly an upper-class bedroom community whose residents nearly all worked in the capital city about ten kilometers east, but there was a street along the waterfront where local businesses were located, within sight of the harbor that occupied a natural indent in the coastline. It was at the entrance to the harbor that the chauffeur parked and waited, letting the engine idle; for September it had turned out to be a chilly day and Leslie was glad of the heat in the car. She kept scanning the horizon for an incoming vessel, and before too long she was rewarded by the sight of_Hunter II_ making for the harbor.

Within minutes of its docking she saw a figure disembark, loaded down with what looked like bags of all sorts. Leslie stared in perplexity while the chauffeur got out of the front seat and jogged down to assist Christian in loading the canvas bags into the trunk of the car. It didn't take long, and when Christian opened the back door and gently set a box on the seat inside, she leaned forward and grinned at him. "Hi, my love!"

"Leslie, my Rose! I didn't expect to see you here!" Christian exclaimed, climbing into the car and settling down beside her. The chauffeur slammed the door shut after him and went around to the driver's side while Christian turned to Leslie and hugged her close. "It's a treat to be with you again!"

Leslie squeezed him and drew back, grinning sheepishly. "I don't mean to insult you," she said, "but you kind of smell…well, like dirt."

"I should," Christian said, laughing. "Fate knows I scraped enough dirt and other garbage off this thing. Look, my Rose, I still can't believe we found this." He lifted the box and settled it in her lap, then folded back the flaps on the top. Leslie peered inside and gasped at the crown, nestled on a bed of towels. Christian grinned at her reaction. "Isn't it amazing? It still needs a little fine cleaning and then some polishing, but there's no question that this is the lost first crown. Perhaps we can ease up on poor old Erik the Loser now that it's been recovered."

Leslie burst out laughing and met his lips with hers, over the top of the box. "I never got to see it, since that pirate stole it long before I showed up in that fantasy, so I have to agree with you—it really is amazing. My gosh, look at all these jewels! You can hardly even see what's holding them together. Is that gold?"

"Yes, it is," Christian said, lifting the crown out of the box so they could see it in the light. "I can only imagine the artisanship that went into the making of this thing." He put the crown back. "At any rate, I expect the next great debate will center on where this crown is to reside—whether at the castle or at the museum. I'm sure popular sentiment will side with the museum, but if truth be told, I myself think it should remain at the castle. It's the property of the royal family, after all."

"I can understand your sentiments, my love," Leslie said a little dubiously, "but I have a feeling you're going to be vastly outnumbered. After all, the royal family already has a crown, replacement or no. This one's a huge piece of _jordisk_ history, and it deserves to be at the museum where the people can come and see it. The museum will have a much better security system than there is at the castle, and they'll take proper care of it too."

Christian nodded, looking reluctant, and admitted, "I have to be honest; the thought occurred to me as well. Perhaps I'm simply feeling possessive." He smiled wryly at her laugh and reached across the box to smooth her hair. "Well, in any case, for now we'll have it at the castle, and once the family has taken a good look at it, we'll contact the museum and arrange to take it there—this, and everything that's in the trunk. The divers came back with so many odds and ends, it dazzled my eyes just to look at them." He sighed heavily, then closed his eyes for a moment and arched his back inward, groaning. "Right now, all I care about is a very long, very hot, very soapy shower…and then a night with you and our babies. Oh yes…and something to eat. I've been living on sandwiches, soup and granola bars."

Leslie giggled and patted his arm. "Poor Christian. I bet the triplets will be glad to see you. I know I am. It's been strange without you."

"Has it?" Christian inquired, grinning. "Well, it's been odd for me without you as well. It feels good to be back on dry land. How much publicity have the triplets generated? I don't suppose you've already been asked for interviews."

"Dozens of times over," said Leslie. "The castle secretary's been putting them all off so they could get family portraits with you in them. Just as well. I didn't want to face them all by myself."

"You wouldn't have been alone," Christian pointed out impishly. "You'd have had the triplets there with you."

Leslie rolled her eyes, making him laugh. "Oh, you know what I mean. I'm so glad you're back. I talked to Father before I came out here with the chauffeur and told him it looked like you'd come up with that crown, and he laughed and said he has a feeling that the uproar that creates is going to keep us here for quite some time yet. I told him we'll try to be home in two weeks, but he said not to bet on it. He must know something I don't."

"That wouldn't be unusual," Christian remarked. "For right now, all I care about is that shower. Clean clothes, a large hot supper, and you. As much fun as I've had on this excursion, my darling, I've missed you, and I'm very glad to be with you again." He set the box aside, on the seat opposite them, then drew her into his arms and kissed her.

The entire royal family met them in the great entry, everyone from Carl Johan, Amalia and Anna-Laura down to their grandchildren. Even Gerhard and Liselotta had brought Matteus and Viktoria in from the city, and Anna-Laura held Lisi, while Gabriella, Ingrid and Amalia each carried a triplet. Those who were old enough to understand the significance of Christian's homecoming zeroed in on the box he carried. "Is that it?" Anna-Laura demanded excitedly.

"This is it, yes," Christian said, chuckling at her covetous look. "I think we'd better take this somewhere other than the great entry, before word spreads beyond the family."

"A good idea," said Carl Johan. "It may as well be your suite."

"Suite?" Christian echoed blankly as the group began to move toward the entrance to the west corridor.

Leslie grinned. "Gabriella put us in Anna-Kristina's old room. Beats the heck out of our former accommodations, and the triplets get to watch the sun set."

"Well, well," Christian murmured and grinned at his niece. "I appreciate it, Briella. I hope you don't mind if I chase everyone out once you've all seen the crown, because I want a shower in the worst possible way, and I want some time alone with Leslie."

"What about your poor children, Uncle Christian?" scolded Margareta.

Christian quirked an eyebrow at her. "Considering this is the first time most of the family has met the triplets, I daresay they'll be with the rest of you whether we wish it or not, at least till someone finds out they're hungry or need changing." Everyone laughed, and the group filed into the huge room Christian and Leslie were now sharing with their children. Gabriella, the last one in, pushed the door firmly closed behind her.

"Come on, now, let's see it," Anna-Laura demanded.

"Calm down, _äldresyster,"_ Christian said, very amused at her. He set the box on the bed and folded back the flaps. "While we're waiting for Magga, Gerhard, Roald and Rudolf to bring back all the bags of treasure the boat crew loaded me down with, let me present to you, only slightly the worse for wear, the long-lost first royal crown of Lilla Jordsö." Leslie grinned, watching the family's expressions, while Christian carefully lifted out the crown and displayed it at the family. To a person, eyes went huge with mesmerized wonder, and the toddlers all reached out in an attempt to touch it, prompting their parents to restrain them. Even the triplets seemed to be fascinated, all three staring at the crown or at their father. Leslie reached out and took Karina from Amalia's arms, holding the baby so she could see all the jewels.

"So that's what it looks like," Gabriella finally breathed. "I never imagined it was so big! We're going to have quite the job keeping it safe."

"I expect the museum in Dalslund will have that worry," Christian said, watching Anna-Laura deposit Lisi in Amalia's arms so that she could take a turn at holding the crown and examining it firsthand. "I had the same thought, that it should remain here with the family, but Leslie pointed out to me that the museum will take good care of it, that they have a far better security system than we do, and that the people deserve to have the chance to see it as well. We already have a perfectly suitable crown for whatever occasions call for such a thing, and this one is not only a historical relic, it's also much too large and gaudy to wear in these modern times." He looked up to see several sets of amused eyes on him and shrugged cheerfully. "Well, that's my opinion, in any case."

Chuckles broke out and Anna-Laura remarked, "I must agree there. Not only that, but I have a feeling it's too fragile to risk anyone's wearing it—just look at how little gold is holding all these gems in place! I wonder that no stones are missing, or that there was so little damage to it. And all these stones are worth a massive fortune, I might add. That alone would make me hesitant to risk wearing this in public. I think the wisest course of action here is to contact the museum and swear them to secrecy, so that we can have this transported there without the need for an armored car and hundreds of guards."

There was a unanimous consensus on this, and on that note Christian replaced the crown in its box and put it underneath Karina's crib. "We'll let Karina play bodyguard tonight," he joked, grinning. "Now if everyone wouldn't mind, I'd like to get myself cleaned up and presentable in time for supper with the family."

"We'll have the triplets in my suite if you're worried about them," Gabriella said with a grin. "Liselotta's been enchanted."

Liselotta grinned a little sheepishly. "They are lovely babies," she said, "and also, I think our Viktoria wants to become friends!"

"That'd be perfect," Leslie said, laughing. "Okay, Gabriella, then I guess Christian and I will come over to your suite when we're ready."

Once everyone else was gone, Christian opened his suitcase on the floor and went through the contents for some clean clothing. "Alone at last," he said and grinned. "Liselotta is doing very well with her English, don't you think?"

"She's making real progress," Leslie said, nodding. "I hope Ingrid is as quick a study. Do you realize we're the parents of three-month-olds, as of yesterday? I can't believe how quickly the triplets are growing. Father's going to claim he doesn't recognize them whenever we finally get home."

Christian laughed. "I barely recognize them myself, almost. Three months!"

"They laughed this week," Leslie told him excitedly. "All three of them. Their cousins have been playing with them so much that they're turning into a trio of social butterflies. At this rate they'll be hamming it up for the camera whenever we let the press in for those pictures they want."

"Oh no, and I missed it," Christian said, disappointed. "I hope they'll laugh at dinner later on. Nearly a week away from the four of you and I feel like a stranger already. It's good for them to know their cousins, though. I think it's one of the disadvantages of living away from the castle as I do—that they won't be too familiar with the family. We could have had a great deal of assistance with the babies as well."

"You'd go stir-crazy within days," Leslie said knowingly, "and I'd get homesick."

"I suppose I would," Christian admitted. "But the atmosphere here is different with Briella as queen. With both Father and Arnulf gone, the place is happier, more relaxed. I'll look forward to bringing the children for visits when we can get here. My one regret is that Mother couldn't be here to enjoy them."

Leslie grinned. "Well, you'll be happy to know that they're now down to one feeding at night. Ingrid and I started experimenting with giving them more milk at the last feeding in the evening, and it seemed to work right off, with all three of them, no less. Tobias held out a couple of nights and woke me up twice each time, but then he seemed to give up and joined the girls in getting down to one feeding. If we're lucky, by Christmas we might be sleeping through the night."

"Ah, now there's a novelty," Christian said with a laugh. "I've begun to forget what that's like. Well, if you'll pardon me awhile, my Rose, I'll get cleaned up. I'm beginning to be afraid I can feel things crawling on me." Leslie laughed, and he headed for the oversized bathroom and shut himself in.

Half an hour later he emerged, by which time Leslie had gotten engrossed in a book and didn't notice him come out. "Must be interesting," he commented.

She started and looked up. "Oh, hi! Finally got done, huh?"

"Very funny," he said good-naturedly. "Actually, I feel much better now." Christian crossed the room and sat beside her, pulling her around so that her legs fell across his lap and he had an arm securely around her upper back. "And I plan to enjoy whatever time alone with you I can get before someone bursts in on us." Leslie smiled at that, and they cuddled together and indulged in a long, leisurely kiss.

After a while Christian sighed and drew back just enough to speak. "Do you have any idea at all how wonderful it feels to be back with you again?" he murmured.

"Yes, because I was away from you too," Leslie reminded him softly, smiling a little. "Stop wasting our time, my love, and kiss me again while we still can." Christian let out a soft amused huff and obliged.

§ § § -- September 4, 2004

Christian and Leslie had just retreated with the triplets to the room next door to what was known as the receiving room, where most royal television press conferences were held, waiting in the sanctuary of this room while the assorted broadcast and print media members broke down their equipment and cleared out. Not only had Susanna, Karina and Tobias been properly introduced to the people of Lilla Jordsö, but Christian had also found himself responding to already-flying rumors about a "great treasure" he had found while at sea with the salvage expedition. He had explained that the _Royal Glory_ had been positively located and identified, and that arrangements were now under way for getting the ship raised and transported to the museum for restoration and display. However, when one persistent reporter had pressed for information on the so-called "treasure", Christian had firmly said that at the moment he had no information and would release the news when it was deemed proper to do so.

"I don't think they were very happy about it," Leslie told him now, securing her two daughters on her lap and watching as Christian gently stroked his sleepy son's back.

"That's their problem," Christian said carelessly. "We have to get the crown safely to the museum before we divulge any information about it, and it makes no difference to me how little the media likes it. Truly, no matter what you give them, it's never enough for them anymore—though I do know they were very pleasantly surprised to hear you speak a little _jordiska_. I'm so proud of you, my Rose." He smiled lovingly at her, then glanced around. "Where's Briella?"

Carl Johan overheard and said, "Gone off to listen to the windbags in parliament debating your right to your title, again. She told us there was no reason for her to be at the conference and left just as the media were arriving. So what do you plan next?"

"Making sure that crown gets to the museum," Christian said. "Has Anna-Laura called them yet?"

"Yes, in fact, she's waiting for some representatives to arrive," Carl Johan said. "It's going to be quite the news story when it gets out, and I hope you're prepared to be held up as a national hero."

"_Herregud,"_ Christian complained, "I didn't even find it—a diver aboard_Hunter II_ did! The only thing I can be credited with is being in the right place at the right time. If I had my way, I'd see the crown delivered to the museum, then pack all our bags and get back home with Leslie and the triplets immediately. Instead I suppose I'll have to face another round of questions once it's revealed that the original crown has been recovered."

Carl Johan laughed. "It won't matter that you were just a spectator when the crown was found—only that you brought it home. Face it, Christian, you did just that."

"He's right, my love, sorry," Leslie said lightly, grinning at him. "You're the only one who came off the boat, carrying all that pirate loot along with the crown. Maybe the diver found it, but you made sure it got home again. Do you suppose the media types are gone yet? I can tell Susanna needs a diaper change."

Carl Johan laughed again and shook his head. "No, they take some time to get all their paraphernalia and leave us in peace. Perhaps if—" Just then the door flew open and Gabriella herself strode into the room, startling them.

"I thought you were sitting in on the latest hot-air-production session at parliament," Christian said.

Gabriella snorted and tossed her head. "I just put a stop to it," she said. "I have something in mind for you, Uncle Christian, and in any case I've heard much more than enough of those procrastinating idiots who were trying to throw verbal roadblocks in my way."

Before she could say any more, Christian exchanged a look with Carl Johan and commented, "I have a feeling I'm not going to like this."

Leslie eyed Gabriella warily. "So what's your grand plan?"

Gabriella responded with an excited grin and leaned forward as if in confidence. "It shocked everyone in parliament, believe me. This is what I said…"

* * *

_Christian and Leslie are in for a big shock and a long battle with publicity that will get them far more attention than they ever dreamed of—or bargained for…_


End file.
